How do I open Vim help pages in a new tab instead of a split?

Explanation

By default, :help opens in a horizontal split, which can feel cramped. The :tab modifier tells Vim to open the resulting window in a new tab page instead. This gives you a full-screen help page that you can read comfortably alongside your work.

How it works

• :tab help topic — open help for topic in a new tab
• :tab help — open the main help page in a new tab

The :tab modifier works with many commands that create splits, not just :help.

Example

:tab help pattern

This opens the help page for search patterns in a full-width tab. Use gt and gT to switch between your code and the help tab.

:tab split

This opens the current buffer in a new tab — a quick way to get a full-screen view of a file that is currently in a split.

Tips

• Add autocmd BufEnter *.txt if &buftype == 'help' | wincmd T | endif to your vimrc to automatically move all help buffers to their own tab
• :tab drop filename opens a file in an existing tab if already open, or a new tab otherwise
• Close the help tab with :tabclose or :q as usual